La Fiesta de San Pedro

Gimena invited us to join in the fiesta of San Pedro (St Paul) yesterday evening and I have to say it was quite the experience. In chatting a bit with Andrew, one of the other volunteers, we both decided that we didn´t think you could convey this experience by words or pictures alone (I have video, but can´t get it uploaded yet due to the file size).

The dancing and traditions of the fiesta come primarily from indigenous ways, but the event has been overlayed with catholicism. The original date of the festival is June 29th, but they continue on with celebrations for several more weeks. This was one of those continuations.

After a valley/ravine crossing and wandering up and down the dirt streets of the Picalqui community we arrived on quite the scene...

Indigenously dressed men and women dancing in circles and singing. Musicians in the center with a ring of dancers around them and a pole of 13 chickens danced around them by 2 more dancers. In this initial dance we saw an elderly woman led the chicken dancers around and around. Then in a procession like fashion, with the chicken trio leading, the dancers filed into the hall for yet more dancing and singing.

Mulitple community dance groups came an went during the night and as we were leaving at midnight a new group was on it´s way.

Time between groups was passed with sopa, chachi, and elviado or canalaso (no one was quite certain). The chachi and elviado were like sweet hard alcohol (the elviado was hot too). There were folks with buckets of it that would go around scooping it out in a small cup and serving it to everyone.

As the night progressed, the party revved up. The little kids ran around wild like while the adults danced the night way or watched on. Quite the event!

Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622188905450

La Hacienda Picalqui

After a few misunderstandings about where to catch the bus to Picalqui, I was excited to be dumped off on the side of the road a few hundred meters from the Hacienda. I arrived much later than intended, but still had a dash of daylight left to get me there.

My arrival felt festive as I had come on the perfect night. Cody and Angela, the two other volunteers at the Hacienda, and Stuart, the volunteer coordinator, were gearing up to make homemade pizzas in the brick oven outside. All the vegetables were organic and fresh from the garden, with the exception of some olives Cody and Angela picked up at the market. Six delicious pizzas (of the 8 total made) and several cervezas later we were all satiated and ready to hit the sheets.

The next morning was an early rise to go watch and help with the milking. Eladio tends to the milk cows and his sons Manual and Jonathan come to help and play donning their Batman and Superman capes. They are quite cute and full of energy. After milking it´s back to the hacienda for breakfast followed by 4 hours of work in the garden and various other parts of the farm. They grow over 50 types of vegetables and raise sheep, cows, chickens, guinea pigs, and on ocassion pigs (none right now). We break a little early to cook lunch for the crew, which is generally about eight people then I dive into 4 hours of language lessons which feel more exhausting than the mornings work. This has pretty much been the schedule for the week and I´m enjoying it.

The evenings have been a lot of fun, be it playing soccer, heading into Cayambe, or just cooking and hanging around the fire with Cody and Angela. They have really made this experience amazing, be it helping me get acquainted with the ways of the hacienda, giving me the proper Spanish words for things, or just being good company and cooking companions. Cody is a journalist and has written a few articles about some archealogical sites and environmental issues in Ecuador while he´s been here. Angela has just wrapped up her second year with Americorps (impressive!) and will be heading back to the states for school in a couple of days.

The weekend has arrived so we get some rest and free time. I took my first shower in a week this morning and struggled to get the balance between pressure and temperature just right. Ecuador uses electric shower heads that heat the water as it flows through the head. Same concept as our on demand/in-line water heaters back home, but not nearly as flawless in performance. If the water pressure is too high, the water is cold so you end up with a warm to hot dribble. Adding to things is a water system with inconsistent pressure and for the better part of the week we had either no water, or an intermittent flow. Seems to be back on track now though. You kinda take water for granted until there is none. We worked around it all with no problems though.

This evening we get to attend a local feista and tomorrow is a guinea pig feast hosted by Jimena, whom we work in the garden with. She´s very knowledgable about the local indigenous ways and even taught us how to make corn bread earlier in the week.

FBU (http://www.fbu.com.ec/fbu_ecuador.htm) is the organization which provides for volunteer stays at the Hacienda and with family´s in Pichincha communities. They seem to be doing some great work and I´m excited to head out to my family in La Crista on Monday. I hear I´ll be getting to do some farm work and teach some English at the local school.

Pics http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622051861877/

La Capilla Del Hombre

I was fortunate enough to get in a trip to La Capilla Del Hombre (The Chapel of Man) in Quito yesterday. It is the master work of Oswaldo Guayasamin who was a Quechua native of Quito. He dedicated his life to art that depicted the cruelty and suffering of man, and the potential humankind has for greatness. He referred to his painting as pictures of souls, not portraits. Many of his works were inspired by war, famine, and injustice.

The place was amazing and the art moving. To read up of Guayasamin and see a few pics see the links below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guayasamin


http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622007326945/

The First Stamp

After a little luggage shuffling to make weight and a mild paranoia that I wouldn´t be able to enter Ecuador (thanks to nearly every airline employee I spoke with in the US and American Airlines refusal to check my baggage to Quito) I sputtered out of the US and was welcomed, no questions asked, into Quito. Passport stamped!

A quick cab ride and I was in my hostel having cervezas on the terrace overlooking Old Town. The city here is bustling. I much prefer Old Town to the touristy Mariscal district. There is a lot of activity of all kinds going on. For example you´ll find a bakery next to a welding shop, next to an internet cafe, next to a import clothing shop, etc.

Near the hostel are many local places to eat and a bullfighting arena where we got to see a free exhibition...although no bulls were killed. It was pretty nifty and quite a dance those matadors put on.

Today I leave Quito for Picalqui where the volunteer Hacienda is. I´m excited to get out into a more rural part of Ecuador and get a flavor of the culture. While the hostel has been great I feel like I´ve been immersed in British and Australian culture with all the travelers. It´s been pretty fun hearing some of their stories and getting tips on future travels though.

Note: On day one my camera broke so pictures are minimal and hopefully coming soon. I was fortunate enough to find a replacement before heading out of Quito so I should get some good pics of the Intag region.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622132070492/

Departing

Finally leaving.

The house is rented, the dog is in a happy new home, and all my worldly possessions are stowed away. Ready or not, I'm off for the year of my life.

First Stop - Quito, Ecuador for a little hostel living and language lessons that will be much needed. Then it's off to the Hacienda on Monday for some farming lessons and more language lessons before arriving at my host family's farm for a month.

More to come, gotta get to the airport for now.